A house for the masks: Toare and the road to UNESCO.
In 2025 the people of Toare village, near Kerema, opened a cultural centre to keep and care for their masks. It is the first step in a nomination to UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, and the first project of its kind between Papua New Guinea's National Cultural Commission and UNESCO.
From festival to nomination.
The Toare Mask Festival began in 2005 and was held every year until 2014. After a pause it was revived in 2022 through a partnership of the National Cultural Commission (NCC), the Gulf Provincial Government and TotalEnergies, and it has grown into one of the province's signature cultural events.
- 2023 · ResearchAn NCC research team working in Toare territory recorded a significant collection of masks. NCC staff note that masks are found across Papua New Guinea, but the Toare masks stand out for the different meanings and traditions attached to each one.
- August 2024 · UNESCO grantThe NCC signed a UNESCO International Assistance contract worth US$10,000 (about K40,000) at its Port Moresby head office, signed by Executive Director Steven Enomb Kilanda. The money was for two things: to document the elements of the Toare mask culture for a nomination to the Urgent Safeguarding List, and to set up a small cultural centre where young people could learn about their heritage. The NCC says Papua New Guinea was one of two Asia-Pacific countries receiving this kind of assistance for the first time.
- 27 March 2025 · LaunchThe NCC and UNESCO launched the Toare Cultural Centre at Toare village, Kerema District, with NCC research manager Alex Puki, Gulf tourism and culture coordinator Oscar Evara, festival chairman Ben Micha, village elders and the people of Toare.
- 12–13 July 2025 · Festival and openingThe festival marked its 20th anniversary. On the second day the centre was formally opened, with Thomas Opa, Member for Kerema Open and Minister for Finance, and Doris Apuka representing UNESCO.
At a glance
- Where
- Toare village, Kerema District
- Launched
- 27 March 2025 (NCC & UNESCO)
- Opened
- 13 July 2025
- UNESCO
- US$10,000 International Assistance
- NCC
- K20,000
- Province
- K80,000 to expand the centre
- Festival
- Since 2005; revived 2022
- Status
- Nomination file in preparation (Urgent Safeguarding List)
Why the masks needed a house.
According to the elders quoted by the NCC, the masks were once kept in a special place set aside for them. When it was time to perform, people went to that place to carry out rituals before putting the masks on. Over time that practice faded. The masks ended up stored in family homes, often without proper care, and with them went part of the ceremony.
The centre is meant to restore that separate space. At the opening, Minister Opa asked that masks from all the villages that practise the tradition be kept there, and that people learn the origin and purpose of each one. Festival chairman Ben Micha said the people of Toare will take full responsibility for looking after the building.
The funding came in three parts. UNESCO's grant (US$10,000, recorded locally as K41,169.20) paid for the first stage, the NCC added K20,000 as the State Party, and the Gulf Provincial Government contributed K80,000 to expand the facility.
“The first-ever project of its kind in the Pacific and the country.” — Alex Puki, research manager, National Cultural Commission (NCC, 2025)
What "Urgent Safeguarding" means.
UNESCO's 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage keeps several lists. The List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding is for living traditions that their own communities consider at risk. A listing comes with a safeguarding plan and regular reports back to UNESCO.
Papua New Guinea ratified the Convention in 2008 but, as of November 2026, has no element inscribed on any of its lists. If the Toare nomination succeeds, it would be the country's first.
The nomination is still being prepared. UNESCO's project page and the State Party page for Papua New Guinea (linked in § 05) are the places to check its status.
Visiting, with respect.
Toare lies in the Kerema District, on the eastern coast where the Elema mask traditions described on our longhouse page were recorded. Kerema is roughly 300 kilometres by road from Port Moresby along the Hiritano Highway.
The festival is the best time to visit, but it is a community event, not a show staged for outsiders. Visiting is by arrangement: contact the Gulf Provincial Government's tourism and culture office or the National Cultural Commission before travelling.
Masks are owned by families and clans. Some may not be photographed, and some may not be seen by everyone. Ask before taking pictures, follow the instructions of your hosts, and do not buy masks or ceremonial objects offered for sale without the community's agreement.
Questions and answers
What is the Toare Cultural Centre?
A community building at Toare village in the Kerema District of Gulf Province where the Toare masks are kept and cared for. It was launched by the National Cultural Commission (NCC) and UNESCO on 27 March 2025 and formally opened on 13 July 2025.
Is the Toare mask tradition on a UNESCO list?
Not yet. UNESCO funded the preparation of a nomination file for its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. Papua New Guinea has no element inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage lists so far, so an inscription would be the country's first.
Who paid for the centre?
UNESCO International Assistance of US$10,000 (about K41,000), K20,000 from the NCC, and K80,000 from the Gulf Provincial Government to expand the facility, according to PNG Business News.
When is the Toare Mask Festival?
In 2025 it was held on 12–13 July at Toare, marking 20 years since the first festival in 2005. Check with the Gulf Provincial Government or the NCC for future dates.
Sources for this page.
- National Cultural Commission (2025). Preparation of the Toare mask culture for nomination to the UNESCO Urgent Safeguarding List (launch of the Toare Cultural Centre, 27 March 2025). Link
- National Cultural Commission (2024). NCC and UNESCO forge historic cultural heritage pact (US$10,000 International Assistance contract, August 2024). Link
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Social practices and cultural elements of Toare Gulf mask festival (International Assistance, project page). Link
- Erehe, Roselyn (21 July 2025). Toare Mask Festival marks 20-year anniversary. PNG Business News. Link
- EMTV Online (2025). Toare Mask Culture Centre launch. Link
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Papua New Guinea (State Party page: ratification and inscribed elements). Link
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Carolinian wayfinding and canoe making (Federated States of Micronesia, Urgent Safeguarding List, 2021). Link
The Post-Courier dated the launch 29 March 2025; we follow the NCC's own date, 27 March 2025. Corrections from the Toare community are welcome at ceo@dottheworld.com.
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